Volkswagen Pulls Out Of 2018 Paris Motor Show

Not long after , reports that Volkswagen has pulled out of the upcoming Paris Motor Show in October. Since the VW Group's emissions-cheating scandal erupted in 2015, the automaker has scaled back brand presentations at auto shows, including Detroit and Frankfurt. It’s partly due to cost-cutting, but it also mirrors a growing industry trend. "The Volkswagen brand is continually reviewing its participation in international motor shows," the automaker said.

While there won’t be a Volkswagen stand at this year’s Paris Motor Show, VW said it could host "various communications activities" in the city. VW's luxury division, Audi, skipped last year’s Frankfurt show, while Ford, Infiniti, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Subaru, and Volvo have confirmed they won’t be attending this year’s Paris show. While its core brand will be skipping this year’s show, the VW Group’s Skoda, Seat, Audi, and Porsche brands will be in Paris, with the latter revealing the new 992-generation 911. So far, Citroen, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Smart, Suzuki, and Toyota are the only other automakers that have confirmed their presence.

VW has had a major presence in previous Paris Auto Shows. In 2016, the automaker . The number of exhibitors at auto shows has declined in recent years. With automakers increasing their focus on connected and autonomous cars, the CES show in Las Vegas is becoming an increasingly popular venue for carmakers to showcase new tech. Consequently, it’s hard to justify the costs required to attend every show.